Improvement in envelopes



. ated at t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEMAN B. MAGRUDER AND ROBERT M. WALSH, OF NEW ORLEANS, 'LA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ENVELOPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,778, dated Auguste, 1876; application filed May 4, 1876.

' or cord secured in one of the folds of the envelope, together with a line or series of perforations extending across one corner of the envelope, from one edge to the edge in the fold of which the aforesaid thread or cord is inclosed, as hereinafter particularly set forth and described. Figure 1 is a front view of aletter-envelope embodying our device. Fig. 2 is. a similar view of the same, showing the cord inclosed in one of the end folds exposed. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same, showing the operation of our device.

Ais the envelope. In the fold made by one of the dope, preferably in that formed by the right-hand end flap as shown at a, we place the thread or cord B, securing it within the-fold bymeans of suitable gum or paste.

Across the corner of the envelope, from anedge, a, to the edge in the fold a of which the cord B is inclosed, we form a line or series of perforations, as shown at O. Thisline of perforations we prefer to form across the upper right-hand corner of the envelope, as shown in the drawings, it will thus be placed across the postagestamp in a stamped envelopeilor in a plain envelope will be situor inclined to, open the envelope by tearing across the line of the perforations, and that, having done so, the thread in the fold of the edgeawill beencountered, when, lrvcontinning to pull upon the said thread, the edge a willbe cut by the thread its entire length, and the onat part or place over which or upon velope thus opened. The cornerof the envelope formed by the perforations, and which will be severed from the rest of the envelope, as desc'ribed, will remain between the fingers of the person opening the envelope, and thus .serve as a convenient piece to grasp during the operation of cutting through the edge a, while at the same time the postage-stamp, through which, or under which, the perforations 0 pass, will be entirely destroyed and canceled by the operation of opening the euvelope.

We are aware that a thread has been heretofore inclosed in the fold of one of the flaps of an envelope, for the purpose of furnishing a means for the slitting open-of the edge of the envelope. We do not intend to claim this device, but desire to limit our claim hereunder to the specific invention herein shown and described, which consists in a thread inclosed in the fold of one of the flaps of an envelope, together with a series or line of perforations extending from an adjacent edge to the edge in the fold of which the said thread is inclosed, whereby the envelope may be opened by tearing'ofl' the corner along the line of the perforations, until the thread in the fold is reached, and then cutting or slitting the fold by the thread, asdescribed; and whereby,

when the thread is placed in the right-hand edge of the envelope and the line of perforations across the upper right-hand corner, the postage-stamp placed in the usual position will be destroyed and canceled by the described opening of the envelope.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An envelope having the thread B inclosed in the fold of one of the flaps, together with the line or series of perforations 0, extending from an adjacent edge to the edge in the fold 'of which the said thread is inclosed, arranged to operate substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

HEMAN B. MAGRUDER.

Bonner M. WALSH.

' Witnesses:

' WILLIAM WALKER,

J--MOH'ALE WALroLn. 

